Writers 
There are so many things we have every day that we barely stop to appreciate.
We wake up, pick up our phones, go about our day, complain about one thing or another, and continue with our lives. Because these things are always there, they can start to feel normal.
But sometimes, the things we consider normal are actually blessings.
We take waking up for granted
One of the biggest things we often take for granted is simply waking up every day.
We wake up expecting that there will be another morning. We make plans for the afternoon, the weekend, next month, or even next year. We rarely stop to think about the fact that being alive to see another day is something worth appreciating.
Life can become so routine that we forget how valuable it is.
Sometimes, we are so focused on what we don't have that we overlook the fact that we woke up with another opportunity to experience life, learn something, spend time with people we love, and work toward the things we want.
You don't know the value until it's gone
There's a reason the saying “you don't know the value of something until you lose it” is so relatable.
When something is present in our lives every day, we might not notice exactly what it does for us.
A person might always be there when we need them, so we assume they'll always be there.
A certain convenience might make our lives easier, but because we've become used to it, we barely notice it.
Then something changes.
Suddenly, that person isn't there. That convenience is gone. That opportunity disappears.
And that's when we begin to notice the space it occupied in our lives.
Sometimes, absence makes us recognize a presence.
Social media can make this worse
I also think social media can make it harder for us to appreciate what we already have.
We're constantly seeing other people's lives — their achievements, relationships, vacations, beautiful homes, businesses, clothes, and experiences.
Even when we're doing okay, seeing what someone else has can make us feel like we're behind.
We start focusing so much on what we want that we forget to appreciate what is already ours.
And wanting more isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Gratitude doesn't mean you stop wanting more
Being grateful for what you have doesn't mean you have to stop having dreams.
You can appreciate your current life and still want to improve it.
You can be grateful for your family while still wanting to build a better future.
You can appreciate where you are while working toward where you want to be.
Gratitude and ambition can exist together.
The problem isn't wanting more. The problem is allowing the desire for more to make you blind to what you already have.
Appreciate it while it's here
For me, one of the things I'm grateful for is family.
It's easy to overlook the people who are always around us because their presence becomes part of our everyday routine. But that's exactly why we should be intentional about appreciating them.
Don't wait until someone's absence makes you realize how much their presence meant.
Don't wait until something is gone before you recognize its value.
Sometimes, we don't realize how blessed we are until we lose that thing.
So maybe today, instead of only thinking about what you want next, take a moment to look at what you already have.
You woke up today.
Someone may love you.
You have another opportunity to try again.
And maybe those ordinary things aren't so ordinary after all. ❤️